All Countries and All Sectors

For Brunei Darussalam, 2009 was a year of consolidation and laying the foundations for future growth, even as the economy contracted slightly and some key sectors felt the pinch as the global financial crisis took hold.

The year 2009 was a turbulent time for global business, with the UAE in particular facing some stiff challenges. To say that Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) sailed through the economic hurricane untouched would be false, but thanks to sound economic planning, 2009 was a year of stable progress for the emirate.

The year 2009 saw Abu Dhabi avoid the worst of the global financial crisis, lay out long-term economic plans, buttress its credentials as a home for green technologies and make noteworthy inroads into the global tourism market.

Indonesia wants to leverage the strong performance of the country's capital markets by boosting direct contributions to the real economy, raise the involvement of listed companies in state projects and increase bond issuances to fund major public developments.

As demand continues to rise, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is looking to bolster its power infrastructure. With plans for several new power plants under way, the emirate is following a strategy that utilises both traditional and sustainable energy sources, falling in line with global trends to maintain efficiency and respecting environmental concerns.

Nigeria's telecommunications infrastructure has received a boost from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which granted local group Helios Towers $250m in mezzanine financing to expand its mobile telephone tower network. Shared infrastructure will enable Nigerian wireless operators to expand nationwide without increasing their costs.